The Tale of the Tragic Meister
by Pureauthor
Summary: Otome Mangaverse. Before the events that would shake the world unfolded, they were put into motion by several determined players - and at the heart of it all was a young Otome, out to make her mark on the world. MaixYuuichi
1. Chapter 1

The Tale of the Tragic Meister

* * *

Those of you who have read the Mai-Otome manga will know that there is a certain amount of ambiguity concerning the Mai that appears in there, as well as the history of the Mai as Queen of Windbloom.

This story works as part of a larger series in which I wish to elaborate on the backstory of the Otome Mangaverse. That's the first reason I'm writing this.

The second reason has quite a bit to do with the fact that the 'Tragic Meister' tale from the Mai-Otome anime turned out to be a massive anticlimax and letdown. The far more ambiguous nature of the manga world, at least when concerned with Mai and Yuuichi, allows me some measure of freedom in concocting backstory. And I am going to _use_ that freedom.

For the sake of clarity, 'Mashiro' refers to our local crossdressing ruler, whereas 'Mashiro-hime' will refer to the actual princess, who got offed on the first page of the manga.

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda, I own nothing, hard boiled eggs…

* * *

"So where do you want these books?"

"Over there, thanks." Natsuki Kruger, head of Garderobe Academy, glanced up from her desk with a small smile on her face. "Thanks for agreeing to help me sort out all these files. I really appreciate it."

The monarch of Windbloom shrugged. "While Arika and the others are out on that trip with Miss Youko, it was kinda boring anyway. This is a good way to kill some time."

"Yes, no doubt. We've had quite the influx of paperwork recently – especially since we've been granted the task of sorting all the files recovered from the Wind Palace." Natsuki sighed as she leafed through a pile of books. "Partly because you're currently here with us, and of course all these belong to you by birthright."

Mashiro resisted the urge to grimace as he stared at the piles of documents in front of him – and this constituted but a small number of the recovered items from the burnt husk that was the Wind Palace – most of the them were still in the underground storage vaults.

"We're a _school_, for pete's sakes, we don't have the manpower to deal with this sort of thing…" Natsuki was muttering to herself in the background, only to be interrupted by Shizuru knocking excitedly on the door.

"Natsuki! Come quick! Take a look at – oh, I can't believe it! It's really-"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Natsuki stood from her chair, taking the thick leather-bound book from Shizuru's hand. "Why's this book so…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at the front cover of said book, and her mouth fell open.

"It… it can't be." She finally whispered weakly.

"What?" Mashiro frowned as he reached for it. "What's the big deal about… a diary?" He glanced down at the name.

"This is… this is Mai's diary." Natsuki shook her head as she sank into her chair. "To… to think they found it in the ruins…"

"Mai…?" Mashiro repeated as he turned the book over in his hands. The name sounded familiar... and at the same time…

Natsuki paused. "She… was a Meister Otome, and our friend. Best of our batch, actually." She shared a fond look with Shizuru. "I had a rivalry of sorts going on with her – could never beat her at anything that mattered." She sighed. "And then, she became an Otome for Windbloom... for a while."

"…A while?"

"…After a period of time… she formally renounced her position as an Otome." Natsuki's eyes were lidded, a half-smile on her lips as she peered into the depths of her memory. "Instead, she would be known from that point on… as Queen of Windbloom."

"W- wait a minute." Mashiro sputtered, the wheels in his mind slowly turning. "If… if you knew this Mai as a friend, a- and the she became the Queen of Windbloom, then – then-"

"That's right." Natsuki nodded. "This diary… it belonged to your mother."

"It's not unusual for Otome to become very attached to their masters." Shizuru smiled. "After all, they're bound body and soul, and they have to follow their masters wherever they go. Some of them develop bonds that are so strong they'd be willing to relinquish their powers for the sake of the people they love." She leaned over Natsuki's shoulder, a small smile on her face. "Isn't that _romantic_, Natsuki?"

Natsuki flushed red. "Y – yes, very. A- anyway! About that diary…"

"Um…" Mashiro glanced down hesitantly at it.

"…What do you plan on doing with it?" Natsuki asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Huh? Me?" The heir to the throne sputtered.

"Like I said, it was your mother's. You're the last blood relative of the Queen, and in the absence of an actual will all her possessions are passed on to you." Natsuki sighed. "If you want, you can keep it, or you could donate it to the Garderobe museum…" She shrugged. "I can't say I'm not eager at the prospect of being able to read Mai's diary, but… privacy and all that. If anyone should read it, I guess it should be you."

"…" Mashiro glanced down at the diary, a host of question storming through his mind. What had his mother been _like_? What about his father – how did his mother view him? What about life as an Otome – first as a Coral of Garderobe, and then as a Meister of Windbloom? What, if anything, had she felt when she'd given him to Lena Sayers for safekeeping?

Silently, he clutched the book to his chest. "I…" He began. "I'd like to sleep on it."

Natsuki nodded approvingly. "Make whatever choice feels right."

* * *

That night, Mashiro sat in his bed, silently staring at the closed book. It was funny how the room could seem so big and empty when he was the only one in it. He would have welcomed the cherry laughter of Arika or the gentle words of Erstin or the calm, collected tone of Nina right about now.

He sighed. Even after the realization that he was indeed heir to Windbloom's throne, he still didn't feel much about his birth parents – he couldn't understand them, he didn't _know_ them. If not for the locket Mashiro-hime had left behind, he wouldn't even know what they had looked like.

_Why?_ He pondered silently. _Why did you send me off with Lena when I was a baby? Just as a failsafe against Mashiro-hime? Didn't you care about me at all?_

After a moment, he cracked open the book, placed it on the table, and began to read.

* * *

"_Mai! Mai!" The shout resounded across the courtyard__ as the young Otome stood, dusting herself off._

"_What now, Natsuki?" She questioned as she stood up. Her friend and rival sighed with exasperation. _

"_The next round o fexaminations is starting soon. Hurry up or you'll miss your shot at being made a Meister!"_

"_Oh…right." Mai sighed as she brushed herself off. "I'll be right there."_

"_You… don't sound very enthused." Natsuki observed._

"_Yeah… I guess I'm not, really. After what happened with Takumi, I…" Mai sighed and shook her head. "It's not important. I'll just do the test. It's what I came here for."_

"_Yes, and you'll ace the whole thing, and come out as the head Meister and if none of the rulers are smart enough to hire you at first opportunity you'll be made headmaster of all Garderobe." Natsuki smirked. "I can just see it now."_

"_Bleagh." Mai made a face. "Talk about a job I'd rather avoid. I guess I'll just palm off all the responsibility to you at first opportunity."_

"_What, pretty ol' me?" Natsuki flipped some of her midnight blue hair over her shoulder. "The male royals would be falling over themselves in their rush to get me to make a contract with them."_

"_But if you leave," Mai said coyly. "You'd never get to be with Shizuru, would you?"_

_The reaction was immediate (and expected). Natsuki immediately flushed a deep crimson. "Don – don't be stupid! An Otome can't be in a romantic relationship! It makes no difference if it's male or female! Only by formally renouncing your position as an Otome can you-"_

"_Yeah, yeah, I know." Mai chuckled. This had always been one of the easier ways to get her friend riled up. She paused. "Hey, Natsuki?"_

_Slightly more calm now, her friend responded with a, "Hm?"_

"_Have you ever thought about… you know, quitting?"_

"_Quitting?" She raised an eyebrow. "No, I can't say I have. I mean, this is what I've wanted to do all my life, after all." She tugged at her uniform. "Why? Are you saying you want to quit?"_

"…_No, not really. It's just that sometimes…" She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if this is really the best path for my life."_

"_Well, you've been an exemplary Coral and Pearl.__ And you're well on your way to becoming an exemplary Meister. If this isn't the path meant for your life, I'd __**love**__ to see the path that is."_

"_Heh." Mai grinned. "So you're finally accepting the fact that I'm a better Otome than you, Natsuki?"_

"_As if!" Her rival grinned. "Just you wait until this test is over!"_

_And with a short laugh, the two of them headed indoors._

* * *

_The whispers travelling through the school tended to start up about a week before the actual arrival. This time was no different._

"_It's Windbloom this time." Yohko confirmed as she picked at her salad. "The crown prince is coming to get an Otome. I heard the headmistress discussing it the other day."_

"_Heh. I wonder who he'll pick." _

"_Oh, that's easy! He'll go with Mai for sure! She passed the latest round of tests at the top of the whole school, after all!"_

_Mai chuckled nervously. "They usually don't pick based on test scores, you know. When the royal arrives, they'll have all those fancy demonstrations and whatnot before they find one who's worthy. The exceptions are those who had an agreement to become a certain person's Otome before they ever entered the Academy."_

"_Right. Another Butou competition." Natsuki sighed, a wry smile on her face. "Which changes nothing. Remember the __**last**__ time? Mai was able to whip me, Shizuru, and Yukariko all at the same time. Must be that bust size of hers."_

"_That was a fluke." Mai muttered under her breath as she felt her face grow hot. "If Shizuru hadn't missed with her Twin Viper Strike, I'd have been down for the count."_

"_Still, that __**was**__ a stunning display of Miryoku." Youko noted. "To be able to develop your Rising Dragon Ring attacks to such an extent… it might even be as powerful as a Meister GEM's attacks."_

"_Oh, come on, guys!" Mai made a face. "I'm not __**that**__ good. And more to the point, the selection is usually at the royal's sole discretion. If he or she wants to pick someone that dropped out in the first round, that his choice."_

"_But who would?" Natsuki snorted. "People don't come here to pick wives or something. We're soldiers first and foremost – anything else is secondary."_

"_Mai's just nervous." Yohko said with a small smile. "She doesn't want to think about being carted off to Windbloom palace with some brute she'd never seen before in her life."_

"_Hm." Shizuru leaned back in her chair. "I could see why someone might feel uneasy about not wanting to go through with this."_

"_Well, they __**could**__ refuse…" Yohko's voice was hesitant._

"_And potentially sour relations between Garderobe and the country in question." Natsuki rejoined. "Not a wise move on an institution that depends on being neutral and impartial. Doubly so when the country in question happens to be the place we are physically located in."_

"_Well, we can worry about it later. Come on, class is starting." _

"_Right, right…" Together, the tiny knot of friends stood and began to head for the classrooms, their conversation all but forgotten._

_By most of them, anyway._

* * *

_Garderobe had a tendency to be strict about the lights-out time in the compound. They were, however, noticeably less strict about whether or not the Otome actually went to sleep when the lights were extinguished. Mai suspected it had something to do with the Academy bei__ng chronically understaffed, since they relied almost entirely on the Otomes produced within the school itself to fill the various positions. Given the propensity for outside forces to snap up as many Otomes as possible, this tended to lead to a skeleton crew running the place – permanently._

_At the very least, such a state of affairs had led to Mai making the fortuitous discovery that she could leave her room undiscovered at almost any point during the night. She'd made good use of this opportunity over the years, particularly whenever she had a problem in her head that she needed to sort out._

_Right now she wasn't sure if her current situation could accurately be described as a 'problem', but it was certainly troubling her enough that she couldn't help but harp on it._

_It wasn't like her, really. She was usually pretty easygoing and relaxed about life, holding to the general idea that it had all worked out pretty well before and that it was likely that it would all work out again tomorrow. And it did – most of the time._

_But once in a while, on the edge of some big event that she knew was going to change her life, probably forever, she felt the nervous trickle in her stomach. And then she would start fretting and… well, she would turn into another Natsuki. Which tended to throw all the times she laughed at her friend and told her to 'just lighten up' in sharp relief._

_When she'd first come to Garderobe, she'd simply did her best – she'd certainly never expected that doing so would rocket her to the top of the class. To say nothing of her combat prowess – to this day some still found it difficult to believe Mai could be so proficient in Butou, but, well, the results spoke for themselves, didn't it?_

_Of course, that same fact made it unhappily obvious that she was going to be prime candidate to be picked by the first royal and/or nobleperson who came along. The only thing standing between her and full-fledged service to a liege lord was the fact that she hadn't been registered yet as a full-fledged Meister. Corals and Pearls, as a rule, did not enter service unless there had been a contract beforehand, and in such cases it was generally because the person in question was being impatient._

_But now…now she was on the verge of being a Meister, and all that went along with it – her own Meister GEM and custom Robe, the new sets of responsibilities and freedoms… and prime candidate to be hired. And to put the cherry on things, her graduation ceremony – assuming there wasn't a colossal screwup on her part somewhere, of course – would be the day before the prince came over. And given what Natsuki said about the people who'd hire Otome valuing them mainly for their combat ability…_

_All in all, chances were good that she'd be leaving the place pretty soon – and now if only she didn't feel so depressed about it. This wasn't right. She was an Otome. She was supposed to go serve her lord and master… it was what she had trained her whole life to do, wasn't it?_

_Nerves. It was just nerves. That was it. She sighed, closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead. There was no reason to be worried, right? The prince would probably be a swell guy, and they'd get along swimmingly once they got to know each other, and all that…_

_Shaking her head to clear away any residual worries, she returned to her room._

* * *

"Lights out!" Miss Maria's shout sounded through the hallways of the academy, startling Mashiro out of his reverie. He'd been so engrossed with the diary he hadn't even noticed the passage of time…

After a moment of hesitation, he tucked the book into his cupboard, and began changing into his night clothes.

_Tomorrow… we'll continue this tomorrow._ He thought to himself as he killed the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

**Chapter ****End**

* * *

This was originally supposed to be a oneshot until I realized that there was way too much stuff to squeeze into a single setting. Oh well. Thanks for reading. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

The Tale of the Tragic Meister

* * *

Second chapter of this little story of mine. Hope this doesn't disappoint.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

With the hectic nature of getting involved in the restoration, Mashiro had been unable to get any good reading time for the next couple of weeks, to the extent that he nearly forgot about the diary. However, the night Arika and the others made it back Natsuki had been kind enough to give all of them the evening off and now here he was, turning the yellowed pages once more.

It fascinated him, really, all those tales about her being a student in the academy. He'd never realized – never thought to ask- about how different or similar the experiences would have been across generations of the Otomes. As he flipped through the book he could spot gripes about the system that were now integrated smoothly into the daily running of Garderobe – apparently Natsuki had agreed with her on those particular issues. And of course the similarities were there too, so much so that he had to grin as he read of his mother making the same stumbling steps towards Meisterhood like Arika and Nina and Erstin were doing.

And most of all, by taking a peek into her innermost thoughts and feelings as she poured them out into her diary, he felt himself beginning to understand and connect with his birthmother in a way he never could before.

Pausing momentarily to lift an eyebrow at Arika enthusiastically tackling Nina with the intent of comparing their chest sizes, Mashiro turned another page and continued to read.

* * *

"_Do you, Mai Tokiha, accept the responsibilities accorded to one who dons this Robe?"_

"_I do." She kept her head down, not looking up. As the ceremony continued she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she was sure she wasn't the only one. Behind her, Natsuki, Shizuru, and all the other graduates were standing at rapt attention, awaiting their turn._

_Just her bad luck to have gotten the highest marks and overall best performance, then. Being the honoured student of the cohort had meant that she would be first up front, and the one that everyone would be paying the most attention to._

"_Do you promise to serve your master faithfully, whoever he or she may be?"_

"_I do."_

_The ritual had been repeated for generations before her, and probably for generations to come. Barring the odd exception, it would be identical for everyone who would call themselves a Meister Otome. That didn't seem to dilute the impact of the oaths, though – if anything, the weight seemed to press down on her even more._

"_Do you promise to wield your power responsibly, and to use it only for the good of the realm and its people?"_

_To be honest, this part of the vow had always seemed a little odd to her. Otomes were contractually bound to their masters, and if their master demanded that they do something horrible, what then? She supposed it was entirely possible to simply say 'no', but that always felt odd for some reason._

_Nevertheless… "I do."_

"_Then rise." As Mai did so, she gazed up at the stone statue of the first Otome, still keeping her ceaseless vigil over the school. "In the name of Fumi the Founder, I hereby proclaim you a Meister Otome. Receive your GEM, and with it the power and responsibility."_

_A small flat-top box was presented to her- she knew that the actual application of the system would only take place later, but this was still an important symbol of her acceptance as a Meister._

"_The Fire-Stirring Ruby." She whispered to herself as she stepped away from the stage, letting Natsuki come forward to begin her own ceremony. A piece of power she could truly call her own…_

_Clutching the box tightly, she returned to her place._

* * *

_She rose early the next morning,__ feeling a tingle in her stomach she couldn't attribute to hunger (the fact that she __**was**__ a rather big eater notwithstanding)._

"_Today's the day…" She whispered softly._

"_Dun getcher hrps up." Natsuki mumbled as she sat up in bed herself, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "I'm gonna win our little exhibition, and then Mr. Royal Highness is going to take me in."_

"_Hopes?" Mai sighed as she settled herself in front of her bedroom mirror and started combing her hair back into some semblance of neatness. "I…" She sighed, twirling a lock of her fiery hair in her fingers. "Natsuki, I'm not even really sure that I want to make a contract. I've never even met the guy before, you know?"_

"_Sheesh." Her dark-haired friend swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Mai, we've been through this dozens of times – we've been __**taught**__ this dozens of times, and you know that most royals and nobles receive lessons on this matter too."_

"_Yeah, and you think it'll stick?" Mai sighed as she stood. "Rich, spoiled brats who have their every need catered to?"_

"_That's why we're supposed to act as their deterrent, silly." Natsuki sighed as she gently pushed Mai out of the way to begin grooming herself. "If we're wounded, they get wounded too, so it stops them from doing the really stupid things, like going to war."_

"…_But if we go to war anyway, won't that mean we'll have to fight each other?"_

" _There hasn't been a full blown war in decades. Mostly border skirmishes between some of the more uptight nobles, but that always gets called off whenever one of the bigshots get hurt, and they all swear vengeance next time." Natsuki gave her friend a wan smile. "You worry too much. And of course, it's not like we're not going to be beating the stuffing out of each other in a couple of hours. Once Emperor Windbloom arrives, we'll-"_

"_What are you people doing?" Shizuru's urgent voice sounded as she forced the door open. "He's here already! Hurry up!"_

"_What?" Flabbergasted, Mai gazed out the window. "I didn't hear any procession or-"_

"_He didn't __**come**__ with a procession! Hurry up and get dressed. You want to be presented before the crown prince like that?"_

_As Mai and Natsuki struggled to get into their uniforms, Shizuru shot them another worried glance before ducking back out of the room._

* * *

_Yuuichi bla__n de Windbloom did not fit into Mai's preconceptions of what royalty looked like. For one thing, his attire wouldn't have turned heads in the business districts of the nation. It was neatly pressed, complemented with a nice tie, true, but all in all it was rather understated._

_The second was that he didn't carry himself much like a noble. Well, sure, there was still a certain air that came with one who had to mentally calculate how every action would make him appear to others before doing it, but at least he'd apparently escaped the mentality that he was somehow inherently superior to the rest of __**peons**__ infesting the land._

_Which made the fact that he was here to pick out a servant all the more ironic, she supposed._

_What intrigued her, as well, was a scar on his arm. The long sleeves of his suit usually kept it hidden well enough, but the end of it reached onto the back of his hand. Silently she wondered how long the thing was. Did it cover his entire arm?_

_Not that she had an excess of time for worrying about such things, of course. As Prince Windbloom was led to his seat by the arena's side, she saw her other classmates getting into position as well. Hurriedly she skipped into place beside Natsuki and Shizuru._

"_I trust you will al__l fight well." Long speeches weren't the headmistress' style, and so with a nod and a quick bow, the tournament quickly began in earnest._

* * *

"_Hrrr… hrrr…" Mai took in deep, steady breaths as she shifted her balance, deflecting Natsuki's blows while waiting for her own opportunity to retaliate._

_She supposed, on some deep level, that this had always been the most likely outcome. The two of them had always been the best of the class, with Shizuru making a close third. No big surprise that they would be facing each other in the final bout._

_Sensing an opportunity, she made a low, sweeping kick – but Natsuki had already jumped out of the way._

_Both of them were in excellent physical condition, and empowered by their Robes, so they could, theoretically, keep going for one heck of a long time. They'd scored some glancing blows near the start of the match (enough to bump the hit counter to the 5 out of the requisite 30, anyway), but after getting more into the rhythm of battle, neither Otome had been able to land a blow on the other._

_Well, perhaps it was time to up the ante a bit…_

_A ring of flame wreathed her hand next time she punched, and as Natsuki instinctively caught the blow, her eyes widened in shock and pain. Taking advantage of her friend's surprise, Mai pressed the attack, landing a kick that sent her friend sprawling._

"_Oh, so that's how you want to play it, huh…" Her dark-haired friend quickly rose, firing off dozens of gleaming ice pellets as she did so. Mai dodged as best she could, but even then a large number of them crashed into her, sending her staggering and knocking up her hit counter._

_Gritting her teeth, she charged forward. Quickly, she sifted through her options. Neither of them were particularly used to their new Meister robes, so, if she could pull off something with it, it might leave Natsuki too surprised to react in time._

_Of course, there was always the probability that Natsuki had thought about this, too…_

_Stopping just short of arm's length from her opponent, Mai released a flurry of tiny fireballs that whirled through the air towards her friend. Confused, Natsuki backed up, switching her energies from attacking Mai to defending herself from this new attack._

_Good. With any luck, her attack's patterns would be unpredictable enough that Natsuki wouldn't be able to deal with them quickly._

_Leaping into the air, Mai gave silent thanks for whatever nano-machines there were that empowered the Meister robes to so much greater an extent. Catching her feet on one of the many pillars strewn about the arena, she paused for the briefest moment before launching herself to the far wall, directly __**behind**__ Natsuki._

_Dropping into a crouch, she lunged forward, her fist striking forward-_

_To be deflected cleanly by Natsuki's arm. "You honestly think I didn't see that coming?"_

_Not wasting time with words, Mai quickly rolled out of the way as the fireball she had released at the same time she had hit the pillar slammed into Natsuki's back knocking her forwards._

"_No, but I'm pretty sure you didn't see that one!"__ She called out as she leapt forward again. Natsuki was staggering, trying to recollect herself, but she had left herself open for the crucial second that Mai needed._

"_**RISING DRAGON!"**__ Her friend was quite literally taken off her feet by the strength of her flame-infused uppercut, and slammed into the wall of the arena with enough force to leave a sizable dent in it. She didn't need to hear the beeping of the hit counter behind her to know that it was a winning blow._

_With a deep breath, she turned and bowed once towards the raised platform where the prince was sitting._

_The tournament was over._

* * *

"_Did you have to hit quite so hard?" Natsuki mumbled as she massaged her sore chin. "I still ache all over."_

"_Aw, I knew you could handle it." She gave Natsuki a friendly wink. "And that's another win for me."_

"_The last one for a good while, from the looks of things." Shizuru smiled as she lifted her teacup to her lips. "Your performance today was nothing short of splendid. Prince Windbloom is all but guaranteed to pick you now."_

"_Y – yes, well…" Mai turned away, her expression troubled. "You weren't half bad yourself, Shizuru."_

"_Pshaw." Her friend said. "My combat style may look graceful, but it can't compare to either of yours in terms of pure power. I'm not going to be the first pick out of the batch."_

"_Well, he might like someone graceful and refined like you." Mai shrugged. "Not wild and straight-shooting like me."_

"_Oh for-" Natsuki gave a exasperated growl. "Mai, if you really don't want to be contracted that much, then why didn't you just throw the match? Then at least I wouldn't have to deal with feeling pain every time I open my mouth."_

"_What, Natsuki suggesting an act of duplicity? Well, I never." Shizuru continued calmly. "Regardless, Mai isn't __**used**__ to deceiving people. If she'd tried, I would bet good money that she'd have given herself away eventually."_

"_Like the royalty would even know how the fights are supposed to look!" Natsuki snorted with disdain. "Why, I'd bet-" She cut herself off at the sound of a knock on the door._

"_Is Otome Mai there?" Came a female voice. "Prince Windbloom desires an audience with you."_

_The three Otome exchanged brief glances. Then, with a sigh, Mai stood._

"_Yup, I'm here." She called._

* * *

_She found the prince standing on a balcony, overlooking the school grounds. After standing there for several seconds, he still gave no indication that he was aware of her presence, and so she hesitantly curtseyed._

"_I – I'm Mai Tokiha. You called for me?" She paused, vaguely aware that there was something else she should be saying, before blurting out, "Milord?"_

_Still the silence remained, to the extent that Mai was about to start wondering if the Prince of Windbloom was hard of hearing, or just that enamoured with the view, or maybe-_

"_Mai Tokiha, was it?" He sounded younger than she would have anticipated – about her own age, in fact. "I'm sorry for making you wait."_

"_I – it's no bother at all, really." She said hastily. "Otome are servants, after all."_

"_Servants?" He hesitated, looking slightly surprised. "I was always under the impression that you functioned more as… confidantes."_

_She was talking mostly through memory here – endless reams of rules and procedures drummed into her head by years of lessons. "If our master wishes to confide in us, then he may do so, and it is our duty to keep it secret." She nodded. "Our duty is to serve."_

"_Hm." The hint of a frown crossed his face, and Mai had to release the urge to reply 'Hm, what?'_

_Prince Windbloom sighed and turned away again. "Mai Tokiha… what would your response be if I were to say that I wanted to hire you as my Otome?"_

"…" _She hesitated, her mouth hanging open as she tried to give an answer that wouldn't be lying. "I would… say that you would be paying me a very high honour, milord."_

"_Again with the canned responses." He frowned. "Here's another question, and I hope this one isn't covered under your textbooks. Mai Tokiha, do you know the reason why I want you to become my Otome?"_

_She hesitated. "Because… because I won the tournament?"_

_He chuckled and glanced out over the courtyard. "I do have to admit that strength is a rather large factor in why one would hire Otome. But I could just as easily choose your friends – the serious, dark haired one, or perhaps that graceful brunette. Your abilities are – based on my own limited judgment, of course – close enough that I would not really be losing much out on the deal either way. Too, there is a cost I shall have to pay depending on how valued the Otome is to the school."_

"_Then…" She frowned. "Then why?"_

"_Well…" Here he heaved a sigh. "You strike me as being rather headstrong and passionate. And truth be told, I am going to be crowned soon and placed in a role I never really wanted, nor do I believe am suitable for. I will be making a lot of decisions in my time as king – and if ever I make a wrong one, I'd prefer someone smack me on the head and tell me what an idiot I'm being."_

"_I can do that!" Mai blurted out instinctively before realizing just what she was talking about, and she lowered her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot. "Uh, I mean…"_

_Prince Windbloom laughed at this. "Excellent demonstration, Mai Tokiha. A bit of your true personality at last."_

_She grimaced. "I…"_

"_Well, I don't claim to be privy to what you're taught in Garderobe itself, but in Windbloom palace our Otomes usually share very close relationships with their masters. If you're going to be so formal – and, well, uptight – then it would be a rather awkward relationship were I to hire you."_

"_And if you… you're going to act like a snarky know-it-all, then I'm not sure I __**want**__ to be your Otome!" She fired back. Okay, so she knew it wasn't proper, but the smug, self-satisfied way he was behaving just ticked her off._

"_Very well." Abruptly he was serious again, glancing down at his arm. That one had held a scar, she remembered. "Then I ask you in all seriousness. Mai Tokiha, are you willing to become my Otome?"_

_She paused, folded her arms, and considered her response. When it came down to it, she knew she couldn't exactly refuse his request. No matter how polite or casual he was with her, she still had to consider her position as a representative of Garderobe. She heaved an internal sigh. Life would be so much easier without politics to get in the way. Still, she got the feeling he liked the straight-shooters… "…Well, on one condition."_

"_Name it."_

"_Well, it's the names, actually." She smiled at him. "If Otome in Windbloom are as close to their masters as you suggest, then perhaps you might care to refer to me as 'Mai' instead of my whole name."_

_He chuckled, smiled, and nodded. "Very well, Mai. And perhaps you might like to refer to me by my given name as well?"_

_She raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that I would simply refer to you as 'master'."_

"_What, even __**more**__ reminders of my status?" He shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks." He paused. "Well then, if that's all… I believe I'll get back to you on the details for the ceremony."_

_She merely nodded, a strange, twisting feeling in her gut solidifying as she watched him leave._

* * *

"_So what do you make of him?" Natsuki asked as she bit down into a biscuit, late that night._

"_I… I have no idea." Mai said as she settled herself on the bed. "I barely even understood our meeting, actually. I'm just… suddenly contracted to him. Our whole conversation was like some sort of awkward verbal fencing." Reaching over, she grabbed a pillow and buried her head into it. "I'm doomed. I've signed my life over to a man I barely know."_

"_Oh, cut the melodrama already." Natsuki mumbled as she reached over and flipped the light switch. "You know, most of us would kill to be selected by the prince of the country we are physically located in. Think about how easy it would be to visit."_

"_Well, maybe, but don't forget that-"_

"MASHIRO-CHAN!"

The old world of his mother and Miss Kruger vanished in an instant, to be replaced by the smiling face of his sister. "A – Arika-chan." He stammered.

"Whatcha reading? Is that a diary?" Reaching over, she tried to grab the book, before Mashiro hastily shoved it into a nearby drawer.

"It's, uh, it's private. Sorry." Then, at Arika's wilting expression, he sighed and relented somewhat. "I'll tell you someday, okay? Right now I – I'm still trying to make sense of it all."

Arika sighed, but nodded. Behind them, Nina glanced up. "It's getting late. We should be getting to bed soon."

"A- alright." Standing, he closed the drawer, and headed off to bed.

* * *

**CHAPTER END**

* * *

Thank you for reading, and sorry it took so long. Please review.


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